Historic Charleston Foundation

Mulberry Plantation is believed to have received its name because of an early interest in raising silk, as worms that spin silk generally feed on Mulberry leaves. However, the plantation was more successful as a rice plantation. Rice was cultivated at Mulberry Plantation from colonial days until 1918. Rice cultivation was difficult and dangerous work completed by slave labor. Slaves would clear the land, chopping down all trees and stumps. They would then excavate canals to bring tidal waters into the field. Trunks, or dams, were constructed to drain the water from the field for sowing and flood it for cultivation. Rice seeds would be coated with clay before they were planted so they would not float away when the fields were flooded. After the rice was harvested, the grain was beaten from the stalk with flailing sticks. The rice was then milled and winnowed to separate the grain from the chaff.

This collection consists of thirty-four photographs of Mulberry Plantation field workers performing various rice cultivation activities including preparing the field, planting, and winnowing. They are dated 1916-1918, and document the final rice harvest done at Mulberry.

The White Pine Series of Architectural Monographs was created under the auspices of the White Pine Bureau to encourage the use of white pine as a building material. The by-monthly series was edited by Russell F. Whitehead, former editor of The Architectural Record and The Brickbuilder, with advertising support from Weyerhaeuser Forest Products, a Minnesota-based company. Even though intended to be promotional, each issue provided visual documentation of classical and unique applications of White Pine, illustrated with photography of the time and drawings (including measured drawings), along with detailed essays by well-respected American architects and builders. The Monographs became an industry favorite, gaining loyal readership across the country and becoming popular as a resource for architecture researchers of architecture. (Sources: Russell F. Whitehead Finding Aid, Minnesota Historical Society; “The White Pine Monographs,” Northeastern Lumber Manufacturing Association website)

The Margaretta Childs Archives collection consists of the five issues of the White Pine Series of Architectural Monographs that highlighted Charleston architecture, each published in 1928: “The Charm of Charleston: A New World City of Old World Memories”; “A Town House of Charleston, South Carolina: The William Gibbes Residence “; “Some Charleston Mansions”; “Charleston Doorways: Entrance Motives from a South Carolina City”; and “The Edwards-Smyth House.” Each issue contains an introductory essay; photographs by Kenneth Clark of buildings, street scenes, views, and architectural details; and measured drawings (measured and drawn by Kenneth Clark) from the George F. Lindsay Collection of Early American Documents. The issues also contain wood construction details (by Weyerhaeuser) pertaining to a featured house and company information about Weyerhaeuser Forest Products.

The collection also includes thirty-three original gelatin silver photographs by Kenneth Clark, most of which were reproduced in three of the five issues Charleston-related issues.

The folio, Examples of Colonial Architecture in Charleston, S.C. and Savannah, Ga., features photographic plates of some of the most important houses and buildings in Charleston and Savannah. Photographs include exterior views of the buildings, gates, and entrances, as well as interior views of fireplaces, mantels, doors, rooms, and ceilings. Compiled and photographed by Edward A. Crane and E.E. Soderholtz. Published in 1895 by the Boston Architectural Club (Boston, Mass. (Note: Historic Charleston Foundation’s copy is missing Plates 45-50, which feature Savannah architecture.)

On September 29, 1938, five tornadoes swept through the South Carolina Lowcountry, two of which ravaged parts of downtown Charleston, causing several fatalities and injuries and two million dollars in damages. The tornadoes damaged or destroyed almost everything in its path, particularly on Market Street, Broad Street near Church Street, and State Street. As with other significant natural disasters that Charleston has experienced, scenes of the aftermath were documented by photographs.

This collection consists of a total of thirty-seven silver gelatin photographs. Thirty were taken by an eyewitness, Ernest Losse, and processed by Jacobs Photo Service in Charleston. Each photograph measures 4.25" x 2.25" and is printed on 5" x 3.25" deckle-edged paper.

The photographer of the seven additional photographs is unknown; however, “W.M. Muckenfuss” is stamped on the backs of each photograph. They measure 3.5" x 5.75".

This collection from Historic Charleston Foundation consists of B&W photographs of buildings and other properties located in Charleston County that were destroyed, relocated, or otherwise modified because they were in the right-of-way of where roads were being constructed or widened. Building and dwelling types include houses, apartment buildings, freedman’s cottages, mobile homes, commercial and industrial buildings, churches, schools, gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores and corner markets, garages, sheds, outhouses, and other outbuildings.

Roads include Interstate 26 (I-26), Route 171 (Folly Road/St. Andrews Boulevard), Route 17 (a portion of which is known as Savannah Highway), State Road 894 (Azalea Drive), State Road 31 (Reynolds Avenue), and State Road 13 (Remount Road). It is notable that some photographs in the U.S. Route 17 and I-26 groups show the area affected by the construction of the Crosstown and the Silas Pearman Bridge (a/k/a Cooper River Bridge).

Many photographs depict Charleston County street scenes in the 1960s, showing people and pedestrians, cars, billboards, signage for businesses (including gas prices), etc., as well as the architectural styles of commercial buildings and residences throughout the county. Additionally, residents of several dwellings appear in many of the photographs.

Only a portion of specific addresses and/or locations are identified. However, each photograph contains the name of the property owner which may be useful in a keyword search of the collection. Addresses may also be determined by looking up the property owner’s name in city directories, but note that the property owner and resident may not be the same person. There may be multiple views of the same structure, which will be evident by comparing the property owner’s name, tract number, and station notes. Of note, addresses have been identified for the buildings and properties affected by the construction of both the Crosstown (U.S. Route 17) and I-26 in the area located within Charleston city limits in the upper part of the peninsula). Those addresses were determined by the 1951 Sanborn Map of Charleston, volumes 1 and 2.

Some photographs are marked in ink showing the area to be affected by the right-of-way. Most photographs also feature SC Department of Transportation surveyors indicating the location and direction of the future roadway by their stance or by their use of surveying range poles.

The collection is organized by road, then by docket number, within which most are either in chronological order or organized by tract number. The reverse side (verso) of each photo includes Docket (Dkt.) number, Route, County, Property Owner, Tract, Station, and Date. (See below for explanation.) Many also have a brief surveyor’s note related to the right-of-way status. Samples of the reverse side of photos are also included. Original photographs are 5" x 7".

The following is a brief guide to understanding the station description:

+: Plus sign

±: Plus or minus

Rt: Right side of the road

Lt: Left side of the road

CL: Center line of the road

R/W: Right-of-way

S.B.: Southbound

N.B.: Northbound

∆: Triangular area of land or a median

The stationing of roads is done in survey feet, not inches. Surveyors use feet, tenths, and hundredths of a foot. For example, the beginning of a road would be 0+00 (zero feet) and for every 100 feet, the number increases to 1+00, 2+00, etc. Therefore, if a station is 42+00 Rt, it is 4,200 ft. from the beginning of the road on the right side. (Note that right and left are related to the stations as they increase.) The beginning stations are usually at the start of a subdivision or at the “T-intersection” of roads. (Explanations provided by Roy T. Adams, Surveyor, SC Dept. of Transportation.)

One of the first fundraising programs developed by Historic Charleston Foundation after its incorporation in 1947 was its annual spring tours of historic houses, during which trained “hostesses” would guide visitors through several private homes in Charleston’s historic district. In addition to raising revenue to support Historic Charleston Foundation’s preservation efforts, the tours performed an educational function by presenting Charleston architecture and decorative arts to both visitors and residents alike. Tour publicity included posters, brochures, and guidebooks, and this collection features some of the promotional materials from the first ten years of the annual tours of houses. Of note are the guidebooks which contain not only house histories written by Samuel Gaillard Stoney, Jr., accompanied by photographs by numerous Charleston photographers, but also information about Historic Charleston Foundation and its activities, essays, maps, and advertisements for a variety of local businesses.

Various monographs and photographs from the Margaretta Childs Archives at Historic Charleston Foundation. The focus of the collection items is primarily Charleston historic buildings, streets, landmarks, and sites. The collection also includes publications related to tourism in Charleston (1879-1948), the Charleston Earthquake of 1886, and the South Carolina Inter-State and West Indian Exposition of 1901-1902.

The Civic Services Committee (CSC) (1942-1946) was the predecessor body to Historic Charleston Foundation. It was formed by the Carolina Art Association to address the need for architectural preservation and to implement city planning in response to growth. The Committee received grants from the Rockefeller Foundation and Carnegie Corporation, which were used to retain Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., to prepare a study that resulted in his report "Objectives for the Civic Services Committee." The funding was also used to compile an inventory of the city's architecture that resulted in the publication of the book This is Charleston. The Committee also addressed and conducted studies related to growth issues such as off-street parking and traffic. The collection spans the time period ca. 1939-1949, and consists of meeting minutes, correspondence, memoranda, reports, articles, speeches, news clippings, manuscripts, and other documents. For ease of access, this collection can be browsed by folder.